Google Drive

Google Drive was launched in April of 2012 and encompasses Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, among other Google apps. In addition to being an office productivity suite, Drive allows users to upload their files and photos. Users get 15GB of free storage between Gmail, Photos and Drive, with the option to purchase more on a monthly basis.

Like with Docs, Google allows users to create links to share uploaded files. Google Drive supports a variety of image and video formats, as well as Microsoft Office and Adobe file formats. Third-party apps can integrate and store data in Drive, while the official Mac and Windows apps allow automatic syncing of local data from a desktop.

On Chrome, the Drive app can sync files for offline viewing. Android and iOS apps allow users to view all their files on the go and make edits.

When Chrome first launched 10 years ago, one of its key visual differentiators was a merged field for entering URLs and searching. Google is now testing Google Drive search right from the Chrome Omnibox for faster access and increased productivity.

At Cloud Next 2018 in July, Google announced a new “Priority” view that leverages machine learning to surface relevant files, while “Workspaces” group together similar documents. Google is now launching these two smart features to paying G Suite customers.

If you’re experiencing issues accessing some of Google’s most popular services this evening, it’s not just you. Google Drive, YouTube, and Gmail are all currently down or behaving abnormally for many user, and it’s unclear when a fix will be deployed.

Last July, Google introduced an “intelligent search box” for Drive’s web interface. This updated lookup experience is no longer limited to the Enterprise edition of G Suite, and will soon be available for all G Suite Editions.